jcb 214s owners opions

[mr snow]

i am looking at buying a 214s and looking for owners opions on the machine. Any problems with 4 wheel steer and if it is worth the money over the 214

 

[mr snow]

oops!!! I spelled opinion wrong!!

 

[DR RPM]

Have tried all JCB's models, the S models seem to burn more fuel for the same hoe attachment so the bigger front tires and the all wheel steer don't seem to make the extra horsepower and cost worth it. :bash

 

[Firefly]

JCB are junk (just my 2 cents). A Cat or a John Deere will out perform them any day of the week.

 

[synner]

with the 4 wheel steer and excellent balance of the 4 large tires our JCB 214S will go places and do work other machines wouldn't think of. Combined with the 4 in 1 bucket its an awesome machine.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

This person has prolly already bought a backhoe but I have spent quite a few hours in a JCB 4x4x4 like you are talking about its a 17,000lb backhoe. My opinion I wouldn't buy one they are JUNK they are too tippy,cheaply built,no power the thing is like a bull in a china shop.

I have ran Case machines far far nicer the only good thing the JCB would be for is a loader on flat ground as for a rubber tired backhoe forget it.

I had so many pucker moments in the JCB I had to pull the seat out of my azz crack a few times I almost flopped it on its side.

Want a good backhoe go with a 590 Case it will out work the JCB anyday.

 

[osborneconst]

My Dad bought a JCB 214s 4x4 extend a hoe Dec. of 2004. It is a pretty good machine. I dont think it as good as the previous JCBs though. Seems it doesnt quite have the power that our other JCB had. It does not go as fast if you drive it on the roas. It idles louder, may just have been set to high, not sure. The extend-a-hoe is nice, but not a lot of power when you get it slid all the way out. The machine is stable, probably one of the most stable on the market, or it is supposed to be anyway. Overall it is a good machine. If we were buying one now or soon I would probably say we would go with the new John Deere when the come out with the new controls that let the joysticks control the loader and the backhoe. Just my opinion though.

By the way I just found this site about a week ago and I love it. Lots of useful information and it is always good to find out what other people think about machines and such.

Mark

 

[itsgottobegreen]

I run a JCB 1550 2wd all the time. I hate it. But the boss man swears by it. Oh well he signs the paychecks in the winter time. I keep threating to take it to the JD dealer and trade it in for him for a JD 410e. Someday he will listen to me.

 

[Mr HMK]

well,

they call it "4x4x4". means, 4wheel drive, 4 wheel steer, 4 equal size wheels.

0- Normally all machines built with 4 equal sized wheels!
1- This helps to get almost perfect stability.
2- Also Small front wheels can not handle weight over 3-3,5 tonnes. There fore these big front wheels last longer than small ones.
3- Traditional backhoes', back wheels speed never equals to small front wheels. Equal wheels turn with equal speed. Therefore these big front wheels last longer than small ones.
4- 4 wheel steering machines can make parallel parking in narrow areas without manouevre. This helps you works safer and faster
5- While using the loader, small front wheels does not contact with ground perfectly. On 4x4x4 machines, if front wheels' contact get lost, back steering wheels help to turn machine. this proves perfect control.

Hmmh, I dont know the worth of this option (4x4x4). But JCB offers this for an extra 10.000 € in europe.

Ok it's technically perfect but sooo expensive.

​

 

[CAT245ME]

When I was in high school, I did a work experiance program at a heavy equipment dealer that sold JCB and I dont recall seeing a backhoe sold during my time there, and I dont think it has gottin ant better because I have only seen 1 JCB within the last year and that was a 4x4x4 model, around fredericton you can hardly go a day without seeing a J.D or Case backhoe working some where.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

If all you were going to use a 4x4x4 JCB for is a loader on flat ground it would be fine otherwise it doesn't make a good all purpose backhoe. I would rather have a Case or Deere anyday over a JCB.

If the JCB 4x4x4 didn't have 4wheel steering it would be completely useless I have run it in 2wheel steering when I was in certain situations. The center of gravity in the JCBs is too high those big front tires give up alot of stability.

I have had the JCB on the verge of tipping on its side a few times let me tell you it scared me quite abit.

 

[Squizzy246B]

Two guys in my area say buy one and it will break your bank and your heart within the year.....you can get women like this too!

Seriously I know one of these guys well. He is currently trying to sell his 04 model because its in the shop more than it works. They do not seem to be a well finished machine and maintainability is horriffic.

 

[Tigerotor77W]

Honestly, I think some element of it has to do with JCB's presence. They're very strong in Europe, but that brand image fades (along with dealer support if the main HQ doesn't send out spares quickly enough) in other areas of the world. On paper, however, JCB backhoes are nearly unmatched 1:1 in every performance category.

And Squizz -- you have a 248B now!

 

[Mr HMK]

Here is the first 4x4x4 backhoe on the world. made by Hidromek of Turkey. it was manufactured in 1991.

JCB folowed that application... later, Case (european) and others. Now Cat had started producing 4x4x4 backhoe (444E). I think sooner or later this design will replace with regular types.

 

[Cat420]

I'm not sure of the model number, but Cat makes an AWS backhoe in Europe that has standard size tires (rears bigger than fronts). It would be interesting to see how that works compared to the ones with equal size tires.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I ran another JCB backhoe but it was a 4x4x4 with smaller wheels it had the same size wheels you would find on the front of a regular backhoe maybe slightly larger that machine was no where near as tippy as the other JCB I was running with the bigger tires. I forgot the model number of the machine I ran last year.

The 4wheel steering is nice for some situations but for digging out of bank or a hard pile of material I was constantly switching the 4wheel steering off so the machine would dig. I found the machine didn't have enough power you really had to work the bucket to keep it from spinning wheels.

The biggest problem with the JCB I was running is the road speed its frigging SLOW I even had a 590 Case 4x4 backhoe pass me I had to pull over and let him by. I never did catch up the 590 was gone.

Places that would take me 15 minutes in a P/U truck would easily take 30 mins or more in the JCB. My right foot would go numb holding the throttle pedal to the floor.

The other problem was the brakes are terrible if I ran the machine it was fine but the other guys run the machine for a day the brakes ended up screwed up. I only used the brakes if I had to I always took my foot off the throttle before a hill and let the engine hold back the machine.

 

[CEwriter]

Other 4x4x4s

For the record:

The Terex 970B is a 4x4x4. See http://www.terexca.com/products/pdfs/TX970B.pdf

As is the New Holland B115. See http://construction.newholland.com/...RL=ENEU&lineid=415&seriesid=2558&modelid=8867

JCB makes the S machine in three different sizes.
http://www.jcb.com/(b53muuz2hnlru355hpnp5b55)/products/product.aspx?rid=24&ind=construction

And Cat makes all-wheel steering (with smaller front wheels/tires) available as an option on the 442D in Europe but not North America.
http://unitedkingdom.cat.com/cda/layout?m=65265&x=7

ADios,

Larry

 

[CEwriter]

One more 4x4x4

Ooops, overlooked Komatsu's WB150AWS. Also all-wheel steer.
http://www.komatsuamerica.com/index.cfm?resource_id=113

ADios,

Larry

 

[Mr HMK]

Cat 444E

Here is the 4x4x4 CAT 444E also 442E it is 4x4x2.
Also HMK102S by Hidromek .

 

[Tigerotor77W]

HMK -- where were the photos of the E BHL taken?